Fire-alarm



(No Model.) i

J. STAPLES 8v W. H. SPAKE. FIRE ALARM.

No. 592,643. Patented ont. 26, 1897.

n1: mams Frans co, vnommmd. wlAsNmG on u c MTE JOHN STAPLES AND'wILLIAMH. SPAKE, 'or ENNIS, TEXAS.

FIRE-ALARM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 592,643, dated October26, 1897.

. Application filed December 5. 1896. Serial No. 614,636. (No model.)

To all whom it 'may concern,.-

Be it known that we, JOHN STAPLES and WILLIAM -I-I.- SPARE, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Ennis, in the county of Ellis and Stateof Texas, have invented a new' and useful Automatic Fire-Alarm, of whichthe following is a speciiication.

This invention relates to automatic firealarms; and it has for itsobject to provide an improved alarm of this character especiallydesignedfor use in'hotels and other large buildings having a largenumber of rooms.

To this end the invention contemplates an alarm apparatus having simpleand efficient means for causing an alarm to be automatically soundedwhen a fire has started in a building and at thesame time to annunciateor indicate the particular room or portion of the building where thefire is located.

With these and other objects in view, which will readily appear as thenature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in thenovel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinaftermore fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 isa front elevation of an automatic fire alarmand indicating apparatus constructed in accordance with the presentinvention and showing the various parts ofthe mechanism in their setpositions. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the alarm in operation forindicating a fire in certain parts or rooms of a building. Fig. 3 is atransverse Sectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a detailsectional view on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, the numeral 1 designates anindicator casing or box adapted to be secured on a wall or otherconvenient place 4and provided in the top and bottom with a plurality ofrod-openings 2, the casing l being preferably inclosed at its front sideby a removable front board or door 3, which is shown removed in Figs. l

and 2 of the drawings, so as to expose the in-` terior working parts ofthe apparatus. The rod-openings 2 in the top and bottom of the casing lare arranged in regular order and in vertical alinement, so as toaccommodate for movement therein the indicator-rods 4, eX- tending aboveand below the casing and carrying at their lower ends below the bottomof the casing the indicator plates or cards 5, on which plates or cardsare placed th`e numbers of therooms in the building in which theapparatus is located, it being understood that each indicator-rodrepresents one particular room or part of a building, so that when oneof the indicator-rods 4 is drawn downward, s as to display the number onthe plate or card carried thereby, it can be readily seen ata glancewhat particular room or part of a building is on fire.

The indicator-casing l is made sufficiently large to accommodate therequisite number of indicator-rods 4, according to the number of roomsor parts of the building included in the circuit of the apparatus, andfor the purpose of best carrying out the present invention theindicator-rods 4 are arranged in separate rows from end to end of thecasing, so that a single iieXible trip connection or cord 6 can be usedwith all of the indicator-rods 4 in one row, as will be more fullyexplained in connection with the operation of these rods. The saidindicator-rods 4 are provided with looped upper ends 7, extendingthrough the openings 2 in the top of the casing l, and these loopedupper ends 7 of the indicator-rods have connected therewith one end ofthe light connecting-wires S, which wires are suitably guided from theindicator-casing to the rooms or parts of the building which areprovided with the ordinary fusible fire cords or ropes 9, which re ropesor cords 9 have a connection with the ,connecting-wires S, it of coursebeing understood that each indicator-rod 4 has a separate wire and cordconnection 8 and 9 therewith, so as to be operated independently of theother rods. The fusible fire-cords 9 are strung on the ceilings andwalls of the rooms of the building in the usual manner, so as to beexposed to fire, which will readily burn the cords 9 and immediatelyslacken the connections therewith, so as to cause an alarm to'beautomatically sounded through the medium of the mechanism forming a partof this invention.

The looped upper ends 7 of the indicatorrods 4 receive thereinhorizontal stop-'rods l0, secured on top of the casing l, for thepurpose of limiting the downward movement of the rods, and said rods 4are provided within the casing 1 and at points intermediate of their IOOends with oistanding depressing-hooks 11, disposed above and adapted toengage with the tiexible trip connections or cords 6. The rods -1 aredrawn in a downward direction to carry their hooks 11 against theiiexible trip connections or cords 6 by means of the retractile springs12, secured fast at theirlower ends, as at 13, tothe bottom of theeasing 1 and connected at their upper ends, as at 14, with the rods+L,preferably at the point where the hooks 11 are projected laterallyfrom such rods. The springs 12 loosely encircle the rods 4 to providefor normally exerting a downward pull thereon, so that when releasedfrom their connections S and 9 the hooks 11 will cause to be depressedthe trip connections or cords (5 and cause an alarm to be sounded.

As already referred to, a single exible trip connection or cord 6 isemployed with each row of indicator-rods -1, and the said tripcord G isarranged within the upper part of the casing 1 and secured fast at oneend, as at 15, to one end of the easing. The opposite end of thetrip-cord (3 is connected to the cross-bar 1G of au inverted-U-shapedtripbail 17, pivotally mounted in suitable bearings 1S at one end of theeasing 1 within the latter and provided at one of its terminals with anoffstandng rock-arm 1f), adapted to work opposite and against aspring-projected push-button 2O of an oi'dinaryspring alarmbell 21,preferably mounted on the exterior of the casing at one end thereof. Thesaid spring-projected push-button 2O is provided with a check-collar 22,which normally is disposed in the path of the clapper-arm 23 of thebell, so that when the button 2O is forced inward by the arm 19 theelapper-arm of the bell will be released and free to operate, so as toring the bell and sound an alarm. A spring-arm 21 is secured fast at oneend, as at 25, to one end of the easing and normally bears against theinner side of the rock-arm 19 to hold such arm normally out ofengagement with the push-bu tten 2O of the bell. By reason of formingthe bail 17 in the shape described all of the trip connections or cordsG within the casing may be connected thereto, as illustrated in Fig. 3of the drawings.

The connecting-wires S are guided throughout the building around glassor other suitable pulleys or in any other convenient manner, but theseconnecting-wires and the re cords or ropes 9 are drawn taut, so as toprovide for holding the indicator-rods -1- elevated and thereby expandor extend the springs 12 connected therewith. \Vith the parts thus setit will be obvious that a burning out of one of the fire-cords willpermit the spring 12 for the indicator-rod having a connection with suchcord to retract and sharply draw the indicator-rod downward, exposingthe indicator plate or card 5 and drawing the hook 11 of the rod againstthe trip-cord 6. The depression of the cord G bythe hook 11 of theretracted indicator-rod will swing the bail 17 in a direction to carrythe rock-arm thereof against the push-buttonof the bell, so as to causesuch bell to sound an alarm.

The many advantages of the herein-described tire alarm and indicatingapparatus will readily appear to those skilled in the art, and it willbe understood that various changes in the form, proportion, and theminor details of construction may be resorted to without departing fromthe principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed, and desired to besecured by Letters Patent, is

1. In an automatic tire alarm and indicator, the easing, a plurality ofspring-retracted indicator-rods mounted vertically within the casing andcarrying at their lower ends below the latter indicating plates orcards, said indicator rods being provided with upper looped endsextending through openings formed in the top of the easing, and alsoformed with intermediate laterally-disposed depressing-hooks, horizontalstop-rods secured on top of the casing and extending through the loopedupper ends of said indicator-rods to limit the downward movementlthereof, suitably-arranged tire-cords having connections with the upperlooped ends of said indicator-rods, an alarm-bell, trip mechanism forthe bell having a pivotal bail, and a trip-cord for each row ofindicator-rods, eaeh trip-cord being connected at one end with said bailand at its other end to an oppositely-located point of attachment withinthe casing, substantially as set forth.

2. In an automatic tire alarm and indicator, the easin g, a plurality ofspring-retracted indicator-rods mounted vertically within the casing andcarrying at their lower ends indicating plates or cards, saidindicator-rods being provided intermediate of their ends within thecasing with lateral depressinghooks, fire-cords having connections withthe upper ends of said indicator-rods, an alarmbell mounted at one endof the easing and having a spring-projected push-button extended intothe casing, a springadjusted trip-bail pivotally mounted within thecasing at one end thereof and provided at one of its terminals with anoffstanding rock-arm working opposite and against said push-button, anda trip-cord arranged under the lateral hooks of each row ofindicatorrods, each trip-cord being connected at one end with said tripmechanism and at its other end to a fixed point of attachment within thecasing, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have heretoafiixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN STAPLES. IVILLIAM II. SPARE. Witnesses:

T. O. FOUNTAIN, IVM. S. IIATFIELD.

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